A desirable feature of a rotary lawnmower is the provision of a control for the rotation of the mower blade which combines the features of selectively clutching the blade to the mower's power source and of braking the blade when it is declutched.
Examples of prior arrangements for accomplishing this type of operation are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,533, which was granted on Aug. 30, 1977 in the name of Gerald H. Wick. In such known mechanisms, clutch shoes are arranged to respond to spring and centrifugal forces to move into engagement with a clutch drum. This contacting relationship completes a path from a rotating source to the mower's blade. A brake band is provided which, when it is actuated, separates the clutch shoes and the drum to interrupt the drive path while simultaneously stopping the rotation of the blade.
Arrangements of the type just described suffer the deficiency that as the device is used, wear occurs on the clutch shoes which eventually results in a somewhat difficult and expensive repair operation to replace such shoes.